Maxine quickly pounced on Max, pinning her to the floor by the shoulders. "Sorry? You're sorry!" A punch hit Max across the face but she made no effort to defend herself. "How long did you spend as Jefferson's prisoner? I was behind bars for decades!" Maxine punched her double again, still no resistance. "They had to rip me off Chloe's body!" Maxine raised her fists and clamped them together, ready to deliver a hammer blow. "Fight back!"
Max just softly shook her head. "No." She wasn't going to fight back against her, ever again.
Maxine's hands started to shake as she glared down at herself. With all the force she could muster she brought them down next to Max's head. The collision broke the tile floor, it cracked as did Maxine's resolve. "God damn you!"
"Pretty sure he already has."
Maxine slumped down, her body resting on top of the other. Weakly she croaked out. "I hate you."
Max lifted her arms and brought her twin into a hug. "I hate me too. Trust me." Maxine let out a hideous sob, unable to stop herself from pressing her face against Max's shoulder. Max tightened her grip and the two girls stayed like that for some time.
Eventually Maxine rolled to the side and Max let her free of the hug. Maxine sat up and used the sleeve of her hoodie to wipe away at the mess her face had become. "How dare you show me all that…"
"Sorry. I wanted you to see-"
"See everything I missed!?" She wanted to be angry again but she found exhaustion in it's place.
Max reached over and laid a hand on Maxine's knee. "Everything that's possible."
"For you." Maxine was quick to spit back.
The words hit their target and Max had to look down in shame. "When we met… You terrified me. Someone with my powers telling me they wanted to torture me and ruin my life? I hadn't felt fear like that since the first time I was in the dark room. You scare me more than Jefferson ever could even imagine…" She pulled her hand back and rubbed her finger, where a wedding ring would go. "I had a son and a wife to think of. I wasn't just responsible for myself any longer."
"I never would have hurt them."
"You wouldn't have meant to, but through me you would have." Maxine scowled and looked from those soft eyes. "So I ran away. I hid from you the best I could. There's nothing I wouldn't let you do to me, but not the people we love. They've been hurt enough already."
"Why did you show me all your failures. That was horrible." Maxine shifted back, away from Max to the wall that she then leaned back against.
"I was trying to show you… that I suck at this. I'm horrible at living life. With powers or without them. You saw. When I figured out you could only taker over when I mess with time too much I stopped doing it. The one time I tried to live life without altering time, the happiest I've ever been and I still fucked it up. It was perfect. I had a family and friends, all who loved me. I just had to start drinking and then… I hit her…" Max was barely able to get the words out. They were acid in her lungs ready to rip through the throat. "Victoria divorced me. Our son wouldn't speak to me." Max curled her legs to her chest and hugged them. "I didn't need you to ruin my life, I did myself… So all those years later when I got sick, I was happy. I was happy to die and finally be done hurting people. I thought that would be the end. I had never died, naturally. That a natural life and death was what the universe wanted. Vic even came to see me off. I didn't deserve that... Then. I just woke up in that fucking classroom again."
In silence both girls were staring at the break in the floor left by Maxine's fists. Maxine already knew all this but to hear it spoken aloud was different. To see how it truly affected Max. She would be lying if she said it didn't bring out a little sympathy.
Had she ever even told Max her whole story? Maxine broke the silence. "I broke her heart too.. I didn't go one week without seeing her in the beginning. She begged me so many times to just break out and run away with her. So much fucking money in court. Even with the best defense money and time travel could buy it- it… I couldn't stand it anymore. Her wasting her life on someone she could never be free with. She didn't deserve that or what I did after... I lied. I told her I hated her. I screamed at her till she cried. I even told her there was someone else. Of course she didn't believe me, but that was the last time we saw each other. Well, the last she saw me. She still sent me letters. Every one of them hurt. I punished myself for a long time after that. Long enough till I was ready to die. I broke out and went and found her. She had found someone else. For the first time in a long time I was happy. It was... peaceful. I came back to the bay, said 'see you soon' to Chloe's grave, went to the lighthouse.. and jumped. I thought that was the end as well. Except I ended up here and I met you."
"I'm so sorry, I- … I never would have done it if I knew you would wake up to that." Max's words were earnest but shaky. She tried to meet their eyes but Maxine wouldn't, couldn't open hers. Eventually she gave up, finding herself looking to the cracked tiles again. "I found out the hard way we can't die. At least it starts all over again when we do. Being buried alive was probably the worst. Once I…" Max sighed and let her legs down from her chest. "I thought maybe it would change something if I did it myself. I-I stole a gun and…" Max couldn't finish the sentence and brushed away some silent tears from her eyes. "Honestly I think this is hell. Maybe, I don't know. Maybe Kate's right about all this and we're being punished. Punished for abandoning Chloe or something else or-" She could tell she was starting to ramble so she cut herself off.
"Well fuck that." Maxine stood up, feeling the need to move. "I've done my time. So if this is God or the Universe telling us to go fuck ourselves it can go fuck it's self right back." She found herself walking to Chloe's table and stopping at it. Her mind went to one particular Saturday morning when they had went to work with Joyce. Of course they caused trouble with their Nerf guns the entire time until William was called to pick them up.
Max had stood up as well but stayed at the end of the counter. The subject had to be breached at some point, now seemed as good a time as any. "I didn't want you to kill Chloe because this has never happened before. We have to give it a chance. Neither of us knows how this plays out."
Maxine lightly slammed her fist on the diner table. "That's bullshit!" She glared at Max and started toward her. Her finger pointed in inquisition. "When has the storm not happened while Chloe's been alive? Tell me one time."
Max avoided the question, they both knew the answer anyway. "Nathan and Jefferson have never been caught this early."
"You've killed them day one, immediately!" Maxine was now close enough put her finger against the other's chest. "The storm still came!"
Max calmly blinked and looked back into her own furious eyes. "I won't argue with you."
Maxine scoffed and walked away. "Oh no?"
That brought out a frown. Max followed her but sat down at Chloe's table. "No. We both know you're right, but I'm not wrong either." She looked up at Maxine. "Maxine, I'm done."
Maxine turned from the counter and crossed their arms, giving Max a questioning look. "Done huh? Done with what?" The anger still in her voice but waning. Maxine was sure of what she meant, Done with her.
"This. Trying… Life." Max placed her arms on the table, hands together, rubbing her ring finger again.
Maxine's face twisted more and she slowly leaned back against the counter-top across from her look-a-like. Her anger now replaced with confusion. "What?"
Max looked down to her hands, still trying to find a ring that wasn't there. "One week. Give me one week, and I'll leave… Forever."
Maxine went silent in shock. Looking away from Max at nothing in particular. She had to walk away. She stopped at the jukebox, staring into it, all the words went blurry in her vision. She mulled the idea over in her head. She could have Victoria again. Then she really thought it over and suddenly her anger was back in full force. How could Max put everyone through that? Put her through that? She stormed back to the table. Max still had her eyes down at her hands. She didn't see as Maxine smacked her as hard as she could across the face. Max's composure was finally broken as she looked up at Maxine. Her turn to be in shock. "How fucking dare you."
"What more do you want!? I'm doing this for you! I'm giving you everything!" Max raised her voice for the first time and yelled back.
"What am I supposed to tell your parents? Hi mom and dad, I'm a completely different person and your daughter gave up her life so I could be here. Sorry Chloe, your best friend is gone. Oh babe, the girl you fell for, you'll never see her again. Can you even start to understand how much it hurt our parents to visit me in prison! You expect me to tell them you're dead?" Maxine was towering over the other girl now.
Max was starting to tear back up again at this point. "What do you want from me then?!"
Maxine shoved Max down and she fell back onto the bench seat. "Maybe stop fucking torturing me?! Fuck!" Maxine walked away in exasperation. "Really starting to understand how your decision making sucks."
Max sat back up and folded her arms on the table. Quickly resting her head as she cried. "I fucking know!"
This brought a sigh from Maxine as she shook her hands in frustration. She turned around on the spot and went back to the table, taking a seat across from herself. She could tell Max was spiraling in self hate. Grabbing Max's upper arms, trying to get through to her. Maxine shared her version of truth. "I don't want Your life. I want Mine, but it's gone and we can't get it back… but this isn't all or nothing. I know what's it like to be trapped in this fucking diner watching you. Do you honestly think I would wish that on anyone?" Her grip tighten a little. "I've been locked away longer than anyone in history. Being able to go back and change anything doesn't help when you start in prison. Imagine your best friend being a fucking wall Max."
"I'm sorry!" Her body shook as she got the words out. "I don't know what to do. I just don't want to hurt people anymore."
Maxine increased her grip again. She knew it hurt but getting this lesson through to her other self was important. "That's impossible. Even for us. We just try our best not to and apologize when we do."
"How do I not hurt you? I can't be happy without it hurting you in the process."
Maxine let go, her hands sliding down to Max's elbows. "...You ever wonder if maybe we can both be at the wheel? Try this together?"
Max finally raised her head. Her eyes red from the tears but afraid. "But, you said-"
"Fuck what I said." Maxine knew where that fear was coming from. The fear of the ruin Maxine promised. "I was angry… I was angry for a long time. Back then I still had hope I could go back to my life, but it seems like that's not happening. I thought maybe if I scared you enough you would just send me back."
"I would, I promise I would if I could." Max pleaded out, hoping to be believed.
Maxine sat back, withdrawing her hands to rest on the edge of the table. "I know." She looked away. Out of the window toward the expanse of white. Something about looking Max in the eye hurt. "You can't though." She managed to make herself look back to Max, at least at her hands. "We're stuck with each other."
The white of the void reverberated against the windows of the dinner with muffled and distorted screams neither could understand. Finally Maxine could meet Max's eyes without fear. "Sounds like we should get back out there?"
There was a short sniffle out of Max. She nodded while wiping away any remaining tears that threatened to fall. "We should, yeah."
Kate stood in the small hospital elevator smiling. In her delicate but well worn musician's hands Chloe's cake was resting in a bright pink box. All worry in the world momentarily gone from her mind. Earlier when the nurse had woke up them up, she was filled with embarrassment but no shame. Chloe's complaints were quickly stifled with the reason why they had been awoken. There was a very apologetic and very late cake maker waiting on the first floor.
Kate had rushed down to meet Hazel and was now already on her way back to Chloe's room. She was a woman with a mission. In Chloe's words 'Get to shoveling cake in your girl'. Just the thought made her giddy. Chloe was hers, and she belonged to Chloe. The weight of all her depression slowly lifting off her shoulders. The door chimed as it reached the second floor and opened. Kate's progress back to Chloe was stopped.
A nurse was waiting outside the elevator with a stretcher in her grip. She noticed Kate and offered her a very tired smile. "You need out?" Kate had seen the person on the stretcher though. Nathan Prescott, his arms shackled to the frame and a cop lazily following the both of them. Kate slowly shook her head no and silently moved back to a corner of the elevator. Being as small and quiet as she could.
Chloe wasn't going anywhere so Kate could put her mission on hold.
As Victoria reached the curb outside the front of the hospital, she slowed. Deciding that running full tilt into a hospital wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. "Fuck." She stopped a few feet from the door, taking a breath. "What am I doing? Talking to myself…" Vic answered as her eyes noticed motion and she looked to the emergency bay. An ambulance followed by a police cruiser pulled in under the overhang of the bay. Seeing the cops brought any panic she had washed away right back.
"Oh great!" Instinctively Victoria's arms went flat against her sides and her fingers curled up into fists. "Keep it together. It's not for you." She whispered to herself and forced her feet to move. Her mind went to the year of therapy she was forced through. That she should probably go back to if she was being honest with herself. Breathe, hold, let it away. Breathe, hold, let it away. Before she knew it the front desk was a foot away.
Then she heard, what was not out of place in a hospital, a burst of screaming. This voice Vic recognized instantly though. Blackwell's walls were notoriously thin. So much so Brooke had covered two walls with acoustic panels to try and block everyone else. Both Victoria and the front desk attendant looked toward the elevators, along with most people in earshot. As the elevator doors opened the words were no longer muffled.
"… -ever Fucking walk again! You Worthless, Disgusting, Soulless, Pathetic, Pile of Human Shit!" Kate's voice rocketed through the air of the small waiting room. She was being held back and pushed out of the elevator by the cop. He wasn't trying that hard as Kate still had her arms full with the cake box. Which Kate's hands had a death grip on, the thin cardboard molded into her grip.
Victoria practically ran to Kate. Both her hands went to Kate's hips and began pulling her away from the cop, a glare shot towards him. Kate's head snapped back at the touch and her own glare met Victoria's. Once they met, Victoria's vanished but Kate directed hers back at Nathan. With a single step backwards Kate brought herself into contact with Victoria, standing as one.
"You want the best part Nathan?" Kate's voice had lowered to a harsh growl. Vic thought that maybe holding her back wasn't such a bad idea. An arm snaked around Kate's waist and with the other hand, two fingers grabbed a belt loop. Vic forced herself to look at Nathan over Kate's shoulder. She noticed the small change in his face from anger to betrayal. "What they do to pretty little little things like you in prison."
The words made Victoria blink. Never did she expect Kate to take it that far. Her physically attacking Nathan would have been less surprising. "Alright.. Let's go." She took a step away, trying to keep the young lioness in the cage of her arms.
"You'll be hearing from my lawyers." Victoria couldn't believe her ears. Still. Still he was trying to feel powerful. Using money to threaten Kate. That wasn't going to happen any longer.
Kate reviled as the look on Nathan's face changed after he spit the words back at her and Victoria reacted. Before she could get any retaliation of her own out Vic ripped her away. Kate was pushed behind her as she had some words of her own for Nathan. "Oh I fucking dare you Prescott. Kate's mine. Come for her or anyone else and I will put your family in the welfare line for generations." Kate smiled at him as horribly as she thought she could manage. He couldn't hurt her, at least for right now. She ended up being the one to pull Victoria away. As the women turned away she felt her blood was alive with each step. She knew everyone in her life before Blackwell would disown her for what she had just done when they found out.
Chloe wouldn't though, and apparently nor would Victoria.
A short quietness overtook the hospital after the comotion died down. Quickly the usual busy hum came back. As a group of teenagers yelling at each other was on lower scale of things that had happened that morning in the hospital. Victoria led Kate in the opposite direction at a quick pace. "Well holy shit Kate. That was pretty badass."
Kate's breath was speeding up as realization was setting in. "I- I couldn't not say something. After everything thing he did. Victoria.. The police told me-"
Victoria cut her off for both of their sake's. "I know." Her voice came out low and disgusted. "Max told me everything." They had reached the bottom of the stairs and Victoria instinctually led them up them.
"Is she here with you?" Kate's voice was hopefully. Vic was sure she'd rather be being consoled by Max instead of her.
Halfway up the stairs they turned and Vic let out a sigh. "We came here together, but I-" When she looked up the stairs, There was Max. Sitting at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall. She looked like hell, fresh and old blood smear down from her nose. Lip busted open and a bruise on her left cheek that was swollen. Her hoodie was stained where the drips had fallen and had multiple streaks on the arms. "Lost her."
Max strained to lift her head from the wall to look more clearly into those pretty emeralds that were trained on her. She smiled brightly down at her two friends, as if not hurt at all. "Found you."
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